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REVIEW: The Vampire’s Club by X. Aratare
The Vampire’s Club – X. Aratare
Find the Wolf.
What is that supposed to mean? Those are the words Lucas Daniels hears before stumbling through the brass doors of the elegant Club Dyavol, a club that seems to appear out of nowhere. The club is his last hope of getting a job to escape his predatory stepfather’s home.
Who would dare enter a vampire’s sanctuary uninvited?
Count Konstantin “the Wolf” Volk may be weakened by a curse, but he is still a primal predator. And when he sees a young man venture into his club, bypassing all of his magical and physical protections, more than just his curiosity is aroused.
Is there more to this meeting than simple chance?
This is the first book of a serial and as per author’s warning, it ends with a cliffhanger.
I listened to the audiobook version and Ethan Holtan was amazingly good. He’s one of those narrators who actually acts as oppose to just reading the lines with feelings. And I love the special effects they did on “Find the wolf.“
The story is set in Arkham, inside the fascinating world of Club Dyavol, a sanctuary for vampires. The club is visible only to vampires and their guests but for some reason, Lucas was able to see and enter the place. He was looking for a job and decided to try his luck at the club. He could have easily ended up a vampire’s meal that night but Konstantin sensed there was something about Lucas, something that allowed him to breach all the wards and spells so he saved him from Marius, a vampire who was trying to lure Lucas. Lucas was then taken to Konstantin’s private quarter to be interviewed and when Konstantin had a drink of his blood, something unexpected happened.
Fated ones + vampire/shifter combo could be a hit or miss with me. Either I find it a crap ton of cheese too gooey for my taste or a delicious treat that sizzles and zings. The Vampire’s Club leans toward the latter, the whole mysterious insta-attraction magic done just right. I’m living for the intensity and the air-crackling-between-them feels.
Konstantin is a great seme. He got that dominant, possessive growl down pat and the wolf thing just added to his appeal. Lucas is perfect as his uke. He submits without being passive and he’s got those big innocent eyes that Konstantin adores. Lucas’ mom is wonderful but his stepdad, from the looks of things, the guy is a creep. Konstantin’s vampire family were all intriguing characters especially Lizzie and Xavier who needs his own book ASAP! A great cast all in all.
I love reading about vampire politics and this one promises a clash between vampires in high places so I’m definitely looking forward to the power plays. The pacing was good but the world building was a little confusing at some points. There were some histories and people mentioned that were assumed to be known to the reader so I’m guessing this serial is part of a bigger universe. However, it did not significantly affect my experience of the story. I was completely hooked from the beginning.
Overall, The Vampire’s Club is a great opener. It is dark, enigmatic and oh so seductive, exactly how a vampire should be.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Threshold
Artist: Dead Can Dance
Album: Garden of Arcane Delights -
Green Creek: Ravensong – T.J. Klune
Gordo Livingstone never forgot the lessons carved into his skin. Hardened by the betrayal of a pack who left him behind, he sought solace in the garage in his tiny mountain town, vowing never again to involve himself in the affairs of wolves.
It should have been enough.
And it was, until the wolves came back, and with them, Mark Bennett. In the end, they faced the beast together as a pack… and won.
Now, a year later, Gordo has found himself once again the witch of the Bennett pack. Green Creek has settled after the death of Richard Collins, and Gordo constantly struggles to ignore Mark and the song that howls between them.
But time is running out. Something is coming. And this time, it’s crawling from within.
Some bonds, no matter how strong, were made to be broken
T.J. Klune wasn’t kidding when he said that Ravensong was “bigger, more hardcore, darker and shit blows up”.
In the first book, Wolfsong, we meet Ox and Joe, and the Bennett pack. The boys grew up together then fell apart. The book closed with the pack once again united. Now it’s Gordo’s story to tell.
Once, there was a boy.
Once, there was a wolf.
He had sat with his back against a tree.
His bare feet were in the grass.
The boy leaned forward and kissed the wolf.
And knew then that nothing would ever be the same.Ravensong is Gordo’s past, present and future. The first several chapters jumps back and forth from his childhood, growing up with his dad inking magic into his skin, running with the pack, his adventures with Rico, Chris and Tanner, and his encounters with Mark up to his life on the road with Joe, Kelly and Carter on the trail of Richard Collins.The rest of the book deals with the town’s lockdown and the war with Elijah.
The hurt. The grief that never entirely goes away. The rage. The hate. The push and the pull. The love. SO.MUCH.FEELS.
The funny thing about hate is the razor-thin line that separates it from something else entirely
Gordo has been burned time and time again and he doesn’t forgive easily.
I don’t believe your promises anymore.
He also can’t stay away.
Here, in the dark, hearing him laugh reminded me of the way things once had been. And the way things could be…
The atypical prose perfectly captures all the raw, hard-edged emotions. Nobody comes out unscathed.
There were bright spots of irreverent, self-aware humor inserted at just the right places because Team Human is gold. They say out loud the things I’m thinking.
The entire Bennett pack is precious. I live for the wolves and the humans. Protect them at all cost!
It took almost the entire book for Gordo to get his head out of his ass. All while, nobody hesitated to tell him he’s being an asshole. I love it! He and Mark deserved their home.
I know Wolfsong was epic and awesome but Ravensong was all that and more. I wholeheartedly recommend the Green Creek series even to those who are not fans of shifter stories because I am also not a fan of shifter stories but T.J. Klune had me howling with his wolves.
All my stars for the Bennett pack.
P.S.
To fully enjoy Ravensong, it’s best to read Wolfsong first. The books are not standalones.
A succinct review of Wolfsong here
T.J. Klune and narrator Kurt Graves’ interview on Jeff and Will’s Big Gay Fiction Podcast here.
Rating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfect
Soundtrack: Raven Chant
Artist: Of The Wand & The Moon
Album: Nighttime Nightrhymes(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35114241-ravensong)
